All That Matters is You
by pink-cherry-005
Summary: /DanxRuno/ Any first-dating tips for Dan? He'll need some on his with Runo. Dan is a bit...clumsy, in some cases. How will it turn out?


All That Matters Is You

It all started as we were holding hands and giggiling. We were about to catch a movie, an easy bull's eye that Runo and I were going out.

"Everything is perfect!" I said, grinning confidently.

Not if you totally flunk your first date.

Ok, here's how it all went down: I try to be the perfect boyfriend for Runo, but what do I gain from it: a slap or two and maybe a slight loss of hearing in my right ear, which I'm still painfully recovering from.

If I tell you how it went, you might as well laugh your head off _right now_.

Everything was just cruising on by like melting chocolate at first. Me and Runo reached the movie theater, patiently waiting in line. But does "patiently" include yelling from the bottom of the hill, "Hurry up, people! We're turning fifty over here!" Not really.

This was the longest chain of people I'd ever seen, kinda like the grand openings of malls. Runo might've gotten the message, for her volcano was still flowing with agitated magma.

I did admit this was cute of Runo. Her temper got heads turning, not with backbitting glares, but of smiles and giggles that I had high hopes for being not humorous.

"Hey, hey, cool it, Runo," I told her, gently pulling on her arm, "we'll be in the front of the line soon."

"Not with all these bosos eating up our time like a big buffet!" she protested, looking towards me. Her screams with no one listening continued with a little bit more dignity.

"Boy, you sure know how to make a scene…" I sighed, almost feeling sorry that be arrived for an _early _flick and had to wait in such a long line. _I _almost felt like shouting like Runo, but I guess I've grown to be a little more mature than that.

A good ten minutes or so went along for a joy ride, and it was finally our turn to pay for tickets for a movie. Only problem: What movie?

"Did you decide what movie we're gonna see, Dan?" Runo asked me.

"What? I thought _you _did…" I replied, silently groaning.

"Well, pick something! You should've done that while we waited."

"Who woulda thought of it," I mumbled sarcastically.

I looked up, my eyes wandering in the stars deciding what to see. There were _many _things we'd agree on seeing, but some were on Runo's "Don't see" list. I named off five movies, all in which Runo rejected like a sack of peanuts.

"See, this is why I wanted _you_ to decide," I complained.

"Sheesh, do you gotta leave a girl to do everything for you, Dan?" she nearly yelled.

I didn't want to become angry, so I replied cooly, "Relax. I'm the one who's paying for it all."

"And I thank you lots for it!" She seemed in a better mood now, especially when she leaped against me and kissed me on the cheek.

In public. It was like being in the middle of a sitcom, fifty million people watching "that big scene."

It took me a minute to finally remember where my place was in the world, and in upmost embarrassment, I slapped twenty bucks on the table, frantically saying, "Uh, t-two tickets to see _Twilight_! Keep the change!"

I dashed with the tickets in hand—Runo holding my arm—and ran until I reached a corner. "Ooh, Dan, how'd you know I wanted to see _Twilight_?" she asked romantically.

"Scratch that, Run…" I panted, still abosorbing the suspense. "Y-You…"

"Oh," she said, as if just realizing as well. She blushed. "That just—happened."

I chucked, probrably blushing a little myself. "Thanks, though. I…really liked it."

Runo took my hand in hers. Our eyes locked, hers giving off the brightest aquamarine than the five oceans themselves. She smirked flirtingly—oh man, it looked like it!

"We'll be doing more of that in the theater, now, won't we?" she asked.

"H-Huh?" I looked as if I'd been struck by lightning.

Runo then laughed loudly. "I was just kidding, Dan! You take everything so cautiously!"

She skipped ahead of me, maybe towards the snacks.

"I guess I do…" I smiled.

Runo was waiting for me at the snack center, where that blasting scent of freshly-buttered popcorn just waited for me to scarf it down. This time, no waiting was allowed for Runo and me.

"One extra laaarge popcorn, please!" said Runo gleefully.

"We're sharing it?" I asked her when I picked up the bucket of gold.

"Of course, silly!"

I charged towards the seasonings, Runo hurrying after me. I never rest without putting a little "x" in "extra-large."

"Just not too much…" Runo began, but I'd already pumped a whole stick's worth of butter into the bucket.

"…butter." She sighed, lowering her head hopelessly.

"C'mon, I like me 'n the butterin' up!" I said almost in another accent, grinning, a handful of popcorn already stuck between my teeth.

"Just don't let the door hit ya on the way out," Runo sarcastically warning me, taking a kernel of popcorn and "lady-likely" placing it in her mouth, chewing sophisticatedly.

We held hands to the theater, where we sat almost at the peak of the chairs.

On average, it's obvious what couples do in theaters, even because they're just plain bored! This may not be much of a secret, but I never actually kissed Runo before—if you know what I mean. Like a couple three or so rows in front of us were doing. I would've gagged until my tongue fell out of my head, but it might've attracted Runo and maybe we'd be doing the same thing…

_Ok, get that out of your head, Dan! _I yelled in my head.

The movie made its easy breeze with the previews, and the middle of the movie was great. We chomped continuously on popcorn and quietly quoted some of the lines we knew—then, oh no, here comes the lovey part…

In this moment, I would've just sat there grimacing, but as I watched, it seemed to be all moving in slow motion. Things around me dragged their way to just being me and Runo. In the movie, as Edward and Bella held their ka-smooch moment, Runo looked at me, and I at her. After holding that gaze for quite some time, I found myself breaking from it, blushing lightly; hopefully the theater was dark enough for her to miss it. I thought it was just plain corny to kiss in a movie theater.

Just as corny as what I did fourty more minutes later.

The yawn was the only thing real in this. I stretched out my left arm, eyes glued to the screen (possibly the biggest mistake of my life). I tried to locate her shoulder and pull her close, _maybe_ giving her a small kiss on the cheek.

But does that recall Runo having a squishy shoulder?

I had reached and and was inches from my prize until I did _it_. I guess Runo had shifted her position in her seat. Whatever she did, it caused my hand to slip just slightly—that much being enough to totally blow it. My hand wasn't on her shoulder but somewhere else…You already know.

The movie might've had a good ten minutes left before the lights had to shoot on, grimaces, groans, and small shouts filling the room. This happened when Runo screamed, turning brighter than a ripe cherry, steam blowing out of her ears when she yelled, "DAAAAN!!"

You know how tongue-tied we guys get. I sounded like a jack-in-the-box with a seizure trying to confront to Runo, but as I tried it only led to her growing more and more mad, making me feel stupid. I didn't—well, forgot to, I guess—say sorry because if I did, I'd repeat it a billion times only to find her stopping me before I reached a trillion.

So instead, she dragged me out the theater by the ear and to the same corner I had pulled her to.

She sounded…ok, I'll make this general: mad. Her face had toned down but was still red. She was in her cool-down mode for a moment, collecting her thoughts as if summing up the right words to chew me out. She finally yelled to start off, "What were you thinking!?"

"Something bizarre," I admitted.

"More than that! _Everyone_ knows the over-the-shoulder thing! You fake a yawn to try and bring distraction and it only leads to conflicts!"

"A-Actually, Runo, that yawn was real…" I milled.

She shrieked in frustration and nailed me atop my head. I yelped slightly, feeling my skull bruise—and if I recognized pain like that, I knew she was completely pissed at me.

"Aw, come on, Run, I didn't mean it!" I shy'd off as she turned, "It was just a freak thing, you know…I hope I didn't hurt your feelings too bad." I tried to sound ashamed for her sake because I obviously seeked forgiveness.

Runo took a little time but finally considered my apology acceptable.

"So, we're cool, right?!" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah…just watch where your hands go," she warned, taking my hand.

Nothing seemed to matter about going out with Runo except _her_. And as we walked out the theater, that reason began to grow in my mind.

"Well, where to now?" Runo asked happily.

Honestly, all I had in mind was tiring my feet out by coasting the city; I had hopes that Runo would want to do something like that.

"Anywhere, you name it," I answered, smiling. I trotted over to my bike, removing the latch on it. "Hop on!"

"Uh, your bike is a little on the small side, though…" Runo wasn't so sure she could trust my tiny mode of transportation.

"Just hold onto me, Runo. Trust me, everything'll be fine."

She took a roomy seat behind me, coiling her gentle arms around my waist. I was feeling adrenalin rushing vastly down to my gut, feeling a little weird but comfortable. Her chin rested kindly over my shoulder, her light breath being sent down my neck, also appealing to the likes of me.

"Ok, hang on!"

I rode us all around the semi-crowded city mouth, past all the large buildings and into the fresh breath of green. The winds were blowing nicely against my face, Runo beside me most likely feeling it, too. The sunlight was high in the sky, lining against some big clouds.

"Yeahh! Whoo-hoo!" I cheered as this moment extended in time with each pedal I rode, with each soft giggle Runo let forth, and with each ounce of adrenalin I had in store for what I'd do with her.

I finally slowed down as we rode down to the park—past the playgrounds, over a large hill, where the romantic stage was set for anyone. And me and Runo had a reserved spot, somewhere.

"How 'bout here?" Runo asked utterly, smiling over my shoulder.

I grinned. "I never would've thought of it," I said sarcastically. "Good thinkin' Runo!"

As I began to pedal down the hill, I didn't even see any form of boundary that could've tripped me up: except this rock, no bigger than the ones you skip carefreely into the ocean. Anyway, the bike tipped the opposite way of the _Titanic_, towards the way I'd take a nosedive onto the ground. Runo and I tumbled off the bike, seeing it meet its doom as it dove down the hill, its curse just as fast making me and Runo roll down the hill.

Luckily, I guess, I fell on my back (which is better than a nosedive, right?). Lifting myself to sit up, I looked around; just as I was, I heard Runo scream before plunging into the fountain below. I jumped to my feet.

"Hey, Runo!" I called, running towards her.

She was so wet that her clothes clung to her body. Her hat fell down gracefully beside her, her hair not as soaked, although a few strands attracted to her damp cheeks. She kicked and screamed at this unworthy accomplishment, yelling, "These were new clothes! And my hair, my hair!" She used her fingers as a makeshift comb to untangle the dampened threads.

And I only saw this calamity for a split second.

"Oh, man, look at my bike!"

It had the condition of being hit by a semi-truck. The spokes in the wheels were tangled atop each other, sticking out. The handle bars were cocked to one side as if someone having their neck twisted. The seat had a bruise, and instead of looking like a banana-seat, it looked like a pear that was tormented by a curious youth. The more done damages weren't easy to describe. My favorite mode of transportation, runied! Who knew a downhill fall and a tree could do _that_ much?

"Ahh, it doesn't look like we'll be riding this guy!" I implied to Runo, who I just now turned to.

By the look in her eyes she seemingly wanted to stab my throat. She stormed out of the fountain, water gysering up as she stomped. She uncaringly put her wet hat back on her head, lopsided.

"You're more worried about your stupid bike?!" she growled in my face, almost yelling.

"U-Uhh…" I tried to look unintimidated. I grinned stupidly, asking nervously, "Are you ok, Runo?"

"Dan, you bonehead!" she screamed. "You're so pathetic!"

"I'm sorry…!" I said, following her as she walked off. (One down, 9, 999, 999 "I'm sorry's" to go…) "Look, I wasn't thinking! If you were the first thing I saw falling, then I would…" She had turned to me, her eyes not at all cooled off, and I silenced myself.

"Oh, so now I gotta be the first thing you see, huh?" She put a hand on her hip. "Well, you'd better find _two _things within the day to make it up to me!"

_You're killing me, _I though nervously. What could I do? Other guys might know, but hey: I'm me.

I looked around the park a bit, seeing one thing that crossed my empty mind to do: sit on the dock by the lake. "Why not over there?" I asked, pointing to where X marked the spot.

"Hmph, fine," Runo snorted, reluctantly agreeing, "just hope it's something I don't forget for a while."

"And by a 'while', you mean ten years or so, right?" I was already headed towards the lake.

"You know me so well!" I was better knowing that she was quickly changing her mood—usually—from mad to glad, the failure knot coming completely loose within me.

In a few we reached the dock, seeing an incoming sunset lowering beautifully. Supposedly, Runo might've thought more of it, as I had a small hunch for.

The air felt lighter as the mist welcomed us. Runo sat along the cedar (I guessed) dock, I myself perching on a comfortable rock beside her. The water sparkled like an array of newborn stars, the water their fortress, like a wavy, wet sky. _This is great, _I thought, folding my hands behind my head. _What's Runo thinking? _I turned to her, seeing that she looked…well, _hesitant_, I guess. Or maybe _I _was the hesitant one, for she gave me brief, short glances, and when she'd look away, she'd sigh/moan quietly, drumming her fingers against the wood. It took a minute but I thought I finally knew what she wanted. So I inched off the rock and sat closer to her. I put my hand around her shoulder (without messing up because I _looked_), close enough that I could feel her breathing against my cheek. In my thought, she was going to kiss me again, but I felt the need to go first. So I squinted my eyes shut, hopefully aware of where my lips would go, satisfied when they found a place on Runo's forehead. Taking in silent relief, I turned back to the sun, feeling embarrassed. "H-How was that, Run?" I asked lowly. I didn't know what kind of response a deliberate sigh was at first, but as she snuggled next to me, her head on my shoulder and her hands around my arm, I thought it was pretty obvious.

When that was over, I wished I knew what to do next. We were sitting apart now, as if there was a five-minute fast-forward. "Hey, Runo, did your clothes dry yet?" I asked idiotically, hoping to bind some kind of subject by the tail. As I looked at her she nodded slightly, not saying anything else.

"Do you, uh…like the sunset?"

Another nod.

I blinked. "…And you forgave me for the whole bike thing, right?"

Same thing.

I put a hand on her shoulder. "Did I do something to upset you? Is that why you're so quiet, Runo?" I was close to yelling.

"Dan…"

"Oh, huh?" Confused, I was mentally happy that she was speaking.

"There's just something that's been on my mind since we've sat here."

"Something you want to say?"

"No…do." She turned to face me.

Ok, here are my mixed emotions right now: anxious, a bit excited, and downright butterfly-filled in my gut. Strangely, I actually _wondered _what Runo was going to do next. She held both hands on my lap gently, looking down at them, but up into my eyes afterward. I was so riled up in my mixed emotions that I almost thought a fly zipped into my mouth. Shaking my head back into reality, I allowed myself to look Runo in the eyes. She blushed lightly and when I saw it, I smiled. But what she did next began to surprise me. When her hands gave a sudden squeeze against mine, it distracted me, allowing Runo to inch closer to me. When my attention was swiftly back on her, that'swhen I finally knew: she _was_ about to kiss me.

_Lean closer, you big dummy! _I yelled to myself. _No,_ I rebeled, _Is this the right time to kiss her yet?!_

The closer she got, the less time I felt I had. A warm current swept fast over my face. _C'mon, just do it!_

Just give me points for trying!

I leaned down against how slow she was moving up, an estimate of maybe three millimeters close to her lips. And why did the sound of an ice cream truck stop this? You can come up with that answer yourself.

The boosting volume of the song "The Turkey In the Straw" must've been heard around the world. It alarmed both of us, making Runo gasp and, seeing how close she was to me, backed away and turned a thousand shades of red—and so did I when I did the exact same thing she did.

_Oh, man, how could this have happened! _I yelled inside. _I was _so _close!!_ Man, I felt like screaming.

Since the (stupid) ice cream truck was there, I figured we might as well take advantage of it, since it was parked there as if reserved for the two of us.

"You…wanna get some ice cream?" I asked as if all hope was lost, but tried to make the best of it.

"Sure," Runo answered in the same toneless way.

We tried to perk up as we approached the truck, immediately seeing what we wanted. Shortly, the ice cream man handed us one double-chocolate pop and one strawberry shortcake sundae. Leaning our backs against the parked truck, we began to eat our ice cream in silence. Our facial expressions looked dry-eyed with no emotion. We seemed that upset at what happened and how it messed up—but neither of us knew how the other was feeling.

So I asked Runo: "Can you believe how loud that volume was?"

Runo answered, "Yeah. I mean, we were _inches_ close from…" Then she trailed off, embarrassed, stuffing a mouthful of vanilla ice cream and strawberry shortcake into her mouth, symbolizing a melancholy "nevermind."

I already knew what she was gonna say. I blushed, concluding that my chances of kissing Runo were blown into a billion pieces. I sighed, chomping on the cold chocolate, paying more attention to my own thoughts which told me: _Be cool. This date isn't over._

Our moods brightened a little after finishing the ice cream. It was beginning to get late, and as Runo checked her watch, it was almost nine. The sun was down, the moon up, the sky falling into a dark abyss. I had to find _some way_ to make it better within the curfew of eleven. We left the park, walking down the street, for it was the only way we could transport ourselves. My thoughts shifted as Runo held my hand once more, leaning her head on the back of my shoulder. I could hear her mumble "This isn't over" or "This is boring," but I couldn't tell which. Man, Runo didn't sound to happy, and I was for sure it was my fault.

_What else could go wrong…_

Shouldn't have even thought that! Now we gotta pay for it in wetness. Yes, it was now raining. Runo screamed in disappointment, anger, and more anger. "Hey, Runo, calm down…." I ordered gently, tugging her arm. "A little rain isn't that bad…"

"A _little_ rain!" she protested. "We could row a boat in the street for cryin' out loud!"

My sopping hair clung over my eyes as a sadly agreed with this. I could kiss my one-way ticket to first-date success goodbye.

I felt the reief as thunder and a flash of white light surprised both me and Runo so much that she hugged me, nearly crackng my ribs, though, shivering, although her body against mine was warm as a first sip of hot chocolate down the hatch. If I didn't feel so flustered, I'd hug her back, but I only gestured to myself a bit of embarrassment by holding back a sigh. A moment for what was feeling like a millennium was passing, Runo still having a tight hold around my waist and everything. I didn't complain but honestly wanting her to let go, and I showed so by—accidentally—sneezing. That was enough for her to look up, blushing for a brief moment, but then telling me,"Dan, we gotta find shelter, either that or go home!"

"No!" I yelled at the 'go home' part, then, humiliated, stammered, "B-But uh, yeah…let's go find shelter."

We ran and stepped through gallons of water with each step down the block and graciously found a pay-phone shelter. We entered the walk-in shack, turning our attention to an always-on TV, showing the weather report, which said that the rain would continue for another five or more hours.

"Five hours!" Runo repeated. "I can't walk in five hours' rain! My hair will frizz up and I'll get sick!"

"Runo, people are staring…" I mumbled to her, diving my hands in my pockets, acting like I didn't know her.

"Dan, we _gotta_ get home!" she yelled like she was going insane. "Where's the pay-phone…"

She leaped to the nearest one, picking up the receiver. "Hello, operator!" she called into it.

Ok, I could now conclue that my girlfriend has gone mad. Wait, my girlf…f-forget I said that. Anyway, she now spun around too fast and knocked her elbow into my gut, making me drop the two quarters I was about to dispense into the machine. I had just found them when a moment ago I dug into my pockets.

"Ahg, great," I muttered.

"What did you drop, Dan?" she asked me, seemingly sane again.

"Two quarters," I answered, which I know knew camoflauged into the carpet, since it was sleek-grey, "Man…"

"Don't worry, I got some," she said, holding out a pocket-sized purse, rumaging through and found them.

After handing them to me, I inserted them. The only number in mind I had to dial was my mom's, but as I did, I felt someone else was dialing for me, for when I heard my mom's voice, I thought to myself, _What was I thinking?!_

"Hello?" my mom's sweet voice answered.

"Oh, uh, hi, Mom," I tackled myself in the head.

"How's your first date?"

"Fine, I guess…" _Worse than a family reunion… _I brought myself to thinking.

I also brought myself telling her how it was going, only leaving out every negative detail except the bike. How could I lie about that?

"Do you need me to pick you guys up?" my mom asked.

I lately said 'no,' and before the answer was given to my mom, the call ended because the time had expired. Just great! I disappointedly hung up the phone. "What did your mom say?" Runo asked.

"Nothing mutually important, but she uh, suggested that we'd…"

"Go home?"

"Enjoy the rest of the time we've got," I sort of lied, for that was what I was dying for.

"Dan," Runo gave me puppy eyes. "I want to go home."

I sighed my breath away as those eyes captivated my very being, and I couldn't resist. "Ok, then we'll both have to go and look for a cab."

"Dan, that's stupid. One of us will get left!"

"No we won't. I promise, this'll go fine."

Reluctantly, she agreed. Exiting the pay-phone hut, I dove left and her right. Back into the battlefield of pounding tears. These clouds must've gotten their hearts broken oneday, and I hoped I wouldn't be next.

In a long, twisted thirty minutes, I found a cab on a lonely curb. I approached the driver seat and said, "Could you take me and my friend to Orangestone Street?"

"Sure," the male driver gladly agreed, tipping his hat. "Who's your friend?"

I must've been overly cautious not to give out Runo's name, but I said, "She about my height and she had light blue hair, you couldn't miss it."

"Oh, I just took a young lady you're describin' on a road just near Orangestone street. Hop in, sonny!"

"Sure."

I hoped to see Runo on the street he described generally. But why would she leave without telling me, let alone coming back for me, or going with no umbrella and waiting by the street?

In less than twenty minutes, I arrived on Underling Street, as said, near Orangestone. I looked around as I got there, looking around for her, but… I turned and saw dark blue hair, shorter, and it was a woman who was not that much taller than Runo. Her _mother._

"Elizabeth?!" I called, bewildered.

She turned at the voice, gasping as she saw me. "Oh, Dan!" As I approached her, she pulled my head in her hands and tugged me closer to her in a tight embrace. "So good to see ya!"

I was aware that Elizabeth was just as energetic as Runo. She didn't let me breathe as my head was smolthered in her stomach. I gave myself space and nearly yelled, "_You're_ the young lady who was driven here?!"

"Oh…" she blushed at that "compliment." "Thanks for calling me young!"

"No, you don't get it, I…"

"Oh, you're talking about my Runo, eh? By the way, where is she?"

_I'm so dead._ But I gulped back the foresight of consequenses and admitted, "I thought she was _here_, so…I, uh…left her twenty minutes away from here."

Elizabeth didn't look mad as I inferred, just shocked, as if she were swooning. She shook her head, taking what I said in very slowly. "If she isn't back here by the next thirty minutes…" She was angry _now_.

"Then what…" I barely whispered.

"Then you're never approved of dating her! When you see her, I hope you've written out a good apology speech."

"I'll get here back twenty-five minutes tops," I promised shakily, for her anger scared the heck outta me.

Asking the same driver who, thank goodness, waited patiently until I was satisfied (which I wasn't), to drive me back, I prayed on the way there that she'd forgive me. With luck, she was nearby as the driver pulled up. She looked up when she saw headlights gleam over her face, and saw me exit the cab as well. She was angrier than I ever thought she'd be.

"Dan, what is the meaning of this?!?" she screamed. "I've been soakin out here for almost fourty-five minutes, _waiting_! I found a cab and was looking for you, then sitting on my butt all the rest of the time to find out that you left me!"

"Runo, let me explain-."

"There is _nothing _to explain! Get in the cab and don't talk to me."

Completely broken in my heart with failure, I let it go. On the way home we were driven in silence. Cold, dead, ice breaking silence. The only noise was the light song of the rain. I looked over a few times at Runo, wanting with all my heart to say sorry, but as I said earlier, I'd say it a trillion times. Ten minutes in the drive she was coughing and sniffling, and I felt absolutely horrible. I could've even sworn I heard her crying five minutes later.

When we got home:

We got out the cab.

I held Runo by the hand to take her out. She looked up and smiled at me. Her body was trembling, so I helped her to the door. Before she went inside, she turned to me, smiling, saying, "Dan, thank you. I had fun today. This was one of the best dates I had so far…and, I forgive you for every mistake."

I looked up, blushing, unable to say anything. In that response, Runo swept down the porch and kissed me on the cheek. I only peeked in a slight giggle and she ran inside.

"Yeah, the best…" I mumbled.

Yeah, you _wish _this was how the rest of it went.

Ok, we got out the cab.

I offered my hand to Runo, but she drew it back, standing her Jell-O-like body up slowly. She wobbled a little. I supported her slightly, but as she looked up she was glaring at me.

So without holding hands we walked to the front porch, and I began dryly, "So, Runo, are you ok?"

"What do you think!!" she shouted. "There's no way I can descibe how this day went without telling how much _you_ ruined it!"

"But, Runo, can you at least-."

'No! I don't want to hear your exuses! Or your voice! Just go home, Dan!"

"Runo, just hear me out…"

"There's _nothing_ to hear!"

"Runo! Despite all that happened, I had a great time! You may not see it, but I did! And I'm sorry for mistaking everything that happened! Even the cab drive! If you were listening to that."

"I was a little," she admitted.

"But…Yeah, Runo, I didn't mean for this to be ruined."

"You don't mean it, Dan. You don't! Just go home, please..."

"Not until I've done this…"

Not letting her respond, I tugged her closer to me by her hand, hugged her back so she wouldn't break away, and kissed her on the lips. For ten esconds that felt like forever. It would've been longer, I would've kissed her and held this moment even more if she didn't push me off of her. She panted, for I didn't let her breathe; neither did I myself.

With one last set of breathing, an what strength she wanted to eke out, she slapped me twice on my left cheek, and yelled, "GO HOME!!" charging inside her house and slamming the door so hard the very ground I stood on shook.

But I lingered there for a moment, then slowly took in her scream that blacked out my right ear's hearing a little, and turned around, heading home.

I let the rain pour down my head as if I were taking a cold shower. It rolled off my hair and dripped down my face, wasnting to mingle with the tears I wanted to shed, but I refused to be a wimp just because I flunked my first date. For crying out loud it was only 10:00.

I felt that it was a little late for rain coverings as I apporoached my house, seeing an umbrella right through the small glass front window. I slumped inside my house only to take off my shoes, ignoring my mom when she asked me how was my evening, and slid on upstairs as if possessed by a slow-moving creature.

Before that, though, I stopped before entering my room. I knew I had pictures of me and Runo just about everywhere there was wall or shelf. I didn't dare want to look at Runo, even a still-life memory. So I went in the guest room (that at least had a TV) and sat there to sulk.

And _that's _pretty much how the date went. Did you laugh? No? Good, thanks! Now if you'll exuse me, it feels like I have water in my ears—and feels like my right has gone deaf. And yet, my cheek hurts greatly. I didn't think behing holding that gentle hand held such raw power.

About ten minutes later, I began to feel better, but I felt like I needed to unleash something. Just to kill time (or usleash the extra emotion), I went downstairs and, with sadness pinging in my heart, explained what happened to my mom, who, after hearing it, hugged me, telling me it would be allright, and that I shouldn't have deserved what Runo did.

"I deserved every bit."

"Don't speak like that, Dan! I've taught you better, you know."

"I know, but-."

"No buts. If you're a man, then you should go talk to her. It's not eleven just yet!"

"Th-Then, you'll let me…"

"You get your words out until you think you've said enough. Don't let her out of your midst."

"I won't go too far, but I'll tell her before..you know, before I lose her."

With that, I charged out the door, taking the umbrella I saw by it along. I opened it up and ran down to Runo's house, not far away at all. I wasn't gonna lose her this fast. I haven't even told her how I feel!

When I got to Runo's house, I was surprised to see the lights off, even the porch light. I looked around the left side of the house and saw a ray of yellow, and, from the instict of watching those cheesy soap operas, threw a rock at the window. (I could best assume this was Runo's window I was putting dents and dust in) When the window opened, I saw Runo in a pair of pink, fuzzy, yellow-dotted pajamas. Her hair was normal again, and she looked brighter in health—and I hoped: mood. I was surprised she even opened the window, yet alone talked to me (I guess) as she said, "What is it now, Dan?"

"I know you don't want to talk to me, but, c'mon, you gotta at least listen! I know the date was a failure. I know I don't deserve to have a friend like you to even take me out again. And I know you deserved better than how I treated you, Runo."

"…Is that all?" she asked, as if wanting more, sightly.

"That's only the half of it. The mistakes I made..well, they could've been fixed, just…not easily. But each time, I did my best to make up for them. I want to show you that I can be a great guy for you to be with. So, can I take you out again?"

She was silent, and as she was, it hurt. She reached her hands for the glass, ready to pull them in.

"But what was done was done! I want to move on!" I tried again, but it wasn't enough. "It's because I LOVE YOU, RUNO!"

The whole neighborhood should've turned their lights on, screaming for the noise to be quiet and cease, but that didn't happen. I stood there, soaking wet, for I'd ignored the umbrella as I turned the corner to get to her window. I had told my feelings, now waiting for Runo.

She shut her window.

I waited for less than three minutes, in complete sense that she'd shut me out, and turned, sulking, to leave, feeling a sense of rejection about me. But I stopped when I saw a light on, then another, trailing all the way to the front door. I approached the front door, and just as I stopped, it opened, and out came Runo, dressed in a plain navy thin-strap shirt, white shorts, and yellow house slippers. Instantly, she threw her arms around me and knocked me down, hugging me tightly.

"Da…Dan…I've never heard you say…" she whispered into my chest, which felt nice.

"I meant it." I stroked her head a little. "I love you, Runo."

"Dan, I love you, too…I was waiting for a better moment for you to say it, though."

"Any moment could be the right."

"Not necessarily."

"Yeah, whatever. But I made the right choice in saying it, right?"

In response she kissed me this time, for much longer than I did. Everything _was _perfect after all.

When we broke it off, she answered, "A little strange that you'd say it twenty after ten, but, yeah."

"Hey, this date wasn't meant to be over until eleven."

We both stood up, Runo hugging more some more. We kissed again for about three seconds. With silence, I was surprised when she asked, "You wanna come inside?"

"Oh, uh…" I scratched my head a moment before answering, and said, "Sure."

"Oh, by the way…" she said as we went inside, "Who did you meet up with at Orangestreet, who was said to look like me?"

"You won't believe me if I told you," I muttered, closing the door, "it was your mother."


End file.
